


Two Doors Down The Hall

by harrywoops



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blow Jobs, Captain Allen - Freeform, Connor (Detroit: Become Human) Has a Penis, Connor is human, Eventual Smut, Fluff and Angst, Hank Anderson Swears, Human Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Human!Connor, Jealousy, M/M, OR SO HE THINKS!, Protective Hank Anderson, Quiet Sex, also, and its very sexy of him to be that way, but anything can happen my friends, cole is alive, connor is CUTE, connor loves having a dick in his mouth, hank is a top, hank is straight, i dont want to spoil anything, if u thought i would write a fic without, obviously, oh I FORGOT THE MOST IMPORTANT TAG, so i wont be tagging everything, sumo, sumo is here and queer, you were wrong
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-27
Updated: 2019-03-25
Packaged: 2019-09-28 09:47:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17180636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harrywoops/pseuds/harrywoops
Summary: Connor Stern is 20, a college dropout, and looking for a job.Hank Anderson is 53, a police lieutenant, and looking for a nanny.(1) Craigslist ad, (1) email exchange, and (1) phone call later, a contract is signed.Only it wasn’t exactly what they were expecting.______human!connor au





	1. honey, you've got a big storm comin'

_     “SEEKING: LIVE-IN NANNY. _

_     I am a professional single father, looking for a live-in nanny to take care of my seven-year-old son, Cole. You will need to take him to school in the mornings and pick him up in the afternoon, as well as take him to any after-school activities. Apart from that, it’s just a matter of keeping him company when I’m not home and helping with homework and dinner when I’m not around etc. I work at the DPD, and so need someone who is able to be on call (reasonably) as I may get called out at odd hours. _

_     I will pay for all gas expenses as well as a weekly salary that we can work out. You will have a room with a bed, desk, bookcase, and a closet. Feel free to decorate it as you wish. _

_     If this sounds like you, please email me, Hank, at andersonh@gmail.com.” _

  


  


    Hank took a sip of his rapidly cooling coffee as his eyes scanned over the screen, reading his typed out words a final time before hitting the post button. He leaned back in his chair as the ad posted to Craigslist, ignoring the twist of nerves in his chest.

    Recently, Hank had been struggling with the balance between Cole and work, and the older Cole got, the more babysitters Hank had to cycle through. 

    When Hank and his wife had first divorced, she and her family had been more than happy to lend a hand whenever Hank would get called in last minute to the department if Cole was with him for the week. It wasn’t until Carol had filed for full custody, a claim which she subsequently lost, that Hank was cut off and left to find other means of support. 

    He didn’t mind, actually preferring the sweet little routine that he and Cole had managed to form over the years of it being just the two of them. Cole was typically a quiet kid, preferring to cuddle up to their dog and play games on his little electronic devices rather than go outside to kick a ball around. 

  
    That suited Hank just fine, and once they would slot in a walk with Sumo, dinner and a bath, sleep came naturally and peacefully for them both.

    This being said, as much as Hank was content in his life with Cole, things were changing. Hank had been promoted to Lieutenant- and with the new title came more responsibilities. He had more work to do at the station, which meant more hours to spend away from his son in exchange for more hours spent looking at Reed’s shitty face. 

    He had gone through all the babysitter recommendations that his coworkers had given him, half of them Cole not liking and the other half not being able to keep up with Hank’s admittedly rough schedule.

    Turns out asking kids in their 20’s to look after a sleepy and grumpy seven-year-old at 3 o'clock in the morning wasn’t  _ hip _ anymore.

    Because of that, he was left with two options; have a nanny move into his house or send Cole to live with his mother permanently. The latter made him nauseous, even as a passing thought, and so the craigslist ad was born.

    Hank glanced at the time on the side of the wall, the sounds of the early morning department shuffle slowly fading back into his senses.

    8:32am.

    Hank groaned. He needed more coffee.

  


**______ SIX DAYS LATER ______ **

  


    4 unread emails sat in Hank’s inbox.

_     Four. _

    Hank had waited almost a week, double checking the ad on his phone to make sure it was actually up, even resetting his email password to make sure his account was working. All signs pointed to - The Ad Is Up And Your Account Is Working Old Man, but Hank didn’t want to believe that he only had four options to choose from.

    He was expecting to have enough applications that he would have no struggle to choose the ‘perfect match’ for Cole, and yet even as he refreshed the page one last time the four emails didn’t change. If this didn’t work then he would have no choice but to send Cole to live with Carol, who would take no time at all to list all the ways he has failed his son.

    Hank steadily opened the first email and began to read.

    “ _ Name: Lila Norton. Age: 14. Experi- _ ”

    “Wait a fuckin’ minute.  _ 14 _ ?” Hank groaned. He deleted the email and tried not to lose hope as he clicked on the next email in his inbox.

    It didn’t take long for the next application to fall flat too, Hank’s fingers twitching around the computer mouse as he read the words, “ _ have a couple of criminal convictions (assault and battery) but they were on an adult so no worries, _ ” that were hastily thrown at the very end of the email.

    The third email in Hank’s inbox was an ad from a hardware store that Hank had been to once for a lightbulb, and so he was left with a single email left.

    “ _ Hi, Lieutenant! _ ” It began. Hank snorted.

    “ _ My name is Connor Stern, and I am 20 years old. I left college early, but I have two years of a teaching degree that I believe will be super helpful for this role! I love kids- _ ”

    The rest of the email read similarly- slightly immature and seemingly overcompensating for something but there was nothing to indicate that he wasn't right for the job.

    Hank scanned the rest of the email carefully, pausing when he noticed a link attached next to the sentence, “ _ I’ve attached an image of myself below, as I believe a person’s face can say a hundred words! picofmeconnor.jpg.” _

    Hank rolled his eyes but clicked the link regardless.

    In a flash Hank was being stared down through his screen, wide brown eyes crinkled in a smile that was directed at something behind the camera. The kid- and he really  _ was _ a kid, looked harmless enough, curly brown hair surrounding a face that still had some baby fat to lose. Hank focused on one of the moles on the kid’s neck for a moment longer before snapping awake.

    “Connor.  _ Connor _ .” He tested the name on his tongue. “Connor, can you get Cole his juice from the fridge?” Hank laughed before shrugging. 

    It worked. Plus- it’s not like Hank had any other option left but to give him a chance.

    Hank picked up his phone and dialed the numbers on the bottom of the email, praying that he wasn’t making the wrong decision.


	2. oh my god, they were roommates

  
          Hank sat on the couch, in a new shirt as he nervously flipped over a pillow to the not-so-stained side.   
  
          “Daddy, what’s taking Connor so long?” Cole’s voice rang out from the kitchen, where the seven-year-old was eating his dinosaur shaped nuggets.  
  
          “He’s supposed to get here at six. Can you read the clock and tell me how long we have left to wait?” Hank replied, turning around to look at his son.  
  
          Cole’s face scrunched up as he stared at the clock, his open mouth still full of mashed chicken nuggets. A moment later, Cole swallowed his mouthful before replying, “Eight minutes?”  
  
          “Exactly. Good job,” Hank smiled as he turned back around. Hank knew kids didn’t exactly _need_ to know how to read the time since everything was digital these days, but there was no way he was going to let Cole pass through life relying solely on technology.   
  
          “Is he going to help me colour?” Cole interrupted Hank’s train of thought.    
  
          Hank hummed. “Not tonight, kid. We’ve got to let him get settled tonight, then tomorrow morning when I go to work you guys can spend _all_ day together. Sound good?”  
  
          “I guess,” Cole sighed, making Hank chuckle.  
  
          When Cole didn’t ask any more questions, Hank’s trepidation began to grow again. He and Connor had only exchanged a single phone call and a few emails before Hank had sent his address and Connor had replied with a quick, _“See you tonight at 6!”_  
  
          Hank had thoroughly checked Connor’s police records, courtesy of the DPD, and found no reason to believe the kid to be anything other than what he said he was. The nervousness Hank felt was less about Connor and more about himself.   
  
          As an adult, Hank had only ever lived with Carol, and even that had only lasted a few years. The idea of having to add another aspect to the already perfect routine that he and Cole had worked out scared Hank, and he worried that if Cole didn’t like Connor, or if Connor didn’t like _Hank_ , it would be the final straw before Cole would be moved to live with Carol permanently.   
  
          As Hank looked back once again at his son, who was spitting crumbs onto the table as he made pretend dinosaur noises with his nuggets, he knew he couldn’t let that happen.   
  
          Hank had cleaned out the spare room which was previously full of his old weights and the other kinds of things that people accumulate over the decades and had moved everything into the garage. The room sat empty except for the new furniture Hank had bought, just a simple bed, desk and closet set that he had found online for a couple hundred bucks. He supposed Connor would fill the place up with whatever young people are into nowadays and make it home. Digital nick nacks, maybe some kind of Cyberlife invention that would dress him and brush his hair in the morning. Hank snorted. He wondered how long it would be until kids forgot how to move on their own.   
  
          A knock on the door made Hank jump, and Cole hop up, his chair clattering behind him.   
  
          “Calm down Cole, don’t scare the kid,” Hank laughed as he opened the door.  
  
          To say that Connor looked different from the photo he had sent would have been an understatement. The photo Hank had been sent was of a freckled, round-faced kid, and yet the person standing at Hank’s door looked like he had stepped right out of _Twinks-R-Us_. With a devastatingly sharp jaw and dark eyes that glimmered in the house lights from behind Hank, Connor smiled brightly.  
  
          “Hi! I’m Connor!” The twi-kid, let go of the handle of his duffle back to reach out and shake Hank’s hand.  
  
          “He-” Hank coughed. “Hey. Uh, names Hank, but you already knew that.” Connor’s smile didn’t break at Hank’s clear discomfort.   
  
          “Nice to finally meet you, Lieutenant. I’m looking forward to working with you.”   
  
          At that moment Cole had had enough of introductions as he pushed past Hank’s legs to get to the door frame.   
  
          “Now you must be Cole!” Connor’s voice filled with affection as he knelt down to reach a hand out towards Cole.   
  
          Cole stared at the hand in front of him before Hank gently urged, “Shake his hand, son.”  
  
          Cole shook Connor’s hand slowly, eyeing him up, and Hank was about to help Connor in before Cole suddenly gasped. “What’s that!”  
  
          Hank looked to where Cole was pointing and for the first time noticed a cage on Connor’s other side, covered with a sheet.   
  
          “Let’s help Connor bring his things in first before you start your interrogation,” Hank whispered loud enough for Connor to hear and laugh.  
  
          Hank reached around to grab Connor’s single duffle bag, throwing up a smile at Connor’s quiet “Thank you, Lieutenant.”  
  
          Hank led Connor to the spare room, which would now officially be Connor’s Room. Connor trailed behind Hank, doing well to answer Cole’s rapid-fire questions.   
  
          “How old are you?”  
  
          “I’m 20.”  
  
          “Do you like colouring?”  
  
          “Ye-.”  
  
          “Did you know that I have a new colouring book?”  
  
          “I didn’t know that, but that you for letting me kn-”  
  
          “It’s got dinosaurs. Do you know what the biggest dinosaur is?”  
  
          “Argentinosaurus?”  
  
          “It’s the argeninost- oh. Yeah, that’s it!”  
  
          Hank laughed at the conversation behind him as he placed Connor’s bag on the bed, standing back against the wall as Connor and Cole trailed in behind him.  
  
          “Can I see what’s in the cage now? _Please_?” Cole asked as Connor placed the covered cage on the desk.  
  
          “Hm… I don’t know yet. Are you sure you _really_ want to see it?” Connor teased, earning a whine out of Cole.  
  
          “Okay okay,” Connor laughed, lifting the sheet up and folding it as Cole leaned in. Hank stepped closer, looking over the top of Cole’s head.  
  
          Cole gasped with laughter as a grey mass jumped towards the side of the cage that he was standing at.   
  
          “Daddy! It’s a rat!” Cole shouted at Hank.  
  
          “I know kid, Connor asked me if he could bring it in on the phone, but I wanted you to be surprised,” Hank replied, but the words went over the kids head as he stuck a finger in the cage and began wagging it around.   
  
          “Thanks for letting me bring him, Lieutenant.” Connor walked over to where Hank was standing, speaking in lower tones.  
  
          “Just Hank is fine. Anyway, I knew Cole would get a hoot out of it. It’s no skin off my back as long as it doesn’t escape, I can’t promise Sumo’s reaction.”   
  
          Connor laughed, leaning against the wall alongside Hank. “Actually, I think Mouse and your dog will become best friends.”  
  
          “I thought it was a rat?” Hank questioned.  
  
          “It is a rat.”  
  
          “But you just said mouse.”  
  
          “His _name_ is Mouse. Keep up.”  
  
          Hank tried to suppress his laugh as he shook his head. “Kids these days.”  
  
          Connor slowly pushed up off the wall, smirking. “I’m no kid, Lieutenant.”  
  
          Hank’s eyes involuntarily dropped to Connor’s lips for a second, before shooting back up to his eyes. “No. Guess not.”  
  
          Hank coughed and stood up straight, looking back Connor at Cole. “C’mon kid. Let Connor get unpacked, you have all day to get to know the rat tomorrow.”  
  
          Cole sighed dramatically as he stepped back from the cage and left the room, grumbling to himself all the way down the hall.   
  
          “So, uh- I’ll be leaving for work tomorrow at eight. Cole usually sleeps in on the weekends so he’ll wake up around 10ish, and for breakfast, he’ll usually go for toast and one of those chocolate spreads. As for the rest of the day, as long as he isn’t on his devices for _too_ long I’m happy for you to just keep him entertained 'till I get back. Uh, for lunch he’ll usually just ask for what he wants but if he’s being fussy a sandwich is fine. You can help yourself to whatever food you want, and you can just, you know. Just… chill out.” Hank finished his spiel with a nod.   
  
          Connor had migrated to sit on the bed during Hank’s mini-speech, attentive. “Sounds good. I can’t wait to hang out with Cole, he seems like a great kid.”  
  
          Hank huffed back his pride. “Yeah. He really is.”  
  
          Connor smiled back, and Hank took his cue to leave Connor be for the night. As his hand reached the doorknob to close it behind him, Connor’s voice rang out.  
            
          “What would you like me to make for you for dinner tomorrow night?”  
  
          “Nah, you don’t need to any of that kind of shit. You’re not a housekeeper you’re just a nanny. As long as you take care of Cole that’s all you need to do. I can take care of myself.” Hank closed the door to the point that just his head was poking into Connor’s room.  
  
          Connor simply nodded and smiled. “I’m whatever you want me to be, Lieutenant.”   
  
          _Fuck_. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lets pretend this wasn't a whole month late. i know, i am TRASH. but all your sweet comments have made me PUMPED to write, so please leave more ;)


	3. can i get a waffle? can i please get a waffle?

**BUZZ. BUZZ. BUZZ.**  
  
    “Hmpf.”  
  
**BUZZ. BUZZ. BUZZ.**  
  
    Hank sighed.  
  
**BUZZ. BUZZ. BUZZ.**  
  
    “I’m up, I’m up,” Hank mumbled, rolling over to his side to hit the snooze button. Once the vibration of his alarm was no longer rattling in his ears, Hank’s ears focused in on another sound. Was that… sizzling?  
  
    With another heaving sigh, Hank pulled himself out of bed towards his ensuite. “God, I’m fuckin’ old,” he groaned, stretching his arms above his head once he reached the mirror. He shut his eyes as soon as he noticed the dark bags under them.  
  
    Unsurprisingly from his appearance, it had been a sleepless night for Hank. Any time that Cole was spending his first day with a new sitter, Hank would be rightfully anxious about it the whole day. That anxiety would usually fade by the time he got home and saw that Cole was both happy and not kidnapped from his own home, and today was no different.  
  
    A quick shower later, Hank pulled on the first shirt he set eyes on from his closet and by 7:19am he was ready to throw back some ibuprofen for his heachache and get on the road.  
  
    Hank noticed the humming again as he reached his bedroom door, and took a deep breath before opening it.  
  
    “Good morning, Lieutenant!”  
  
    Connor cheerily spoke from the kitchen, which was directly in front of Hank’s now open bedroom door. The kid was stood in front of the stove wearing a _fuzzy_ dressing gown, stirring something currently unseen in Hank’s pot.    
  
    “C’mon, is’ too early for that Lieutenant shit,” Hank mumbled in response, his eyes scanning over the dining table from the safety of his door frame.  
  
    Connor simply hummed in response, preoccupied with whatever he was stirring.  
  
    “So what’s all this?” Hank continued, gesturing to the dining table that now looked like something out of a lifestyle magazine.  
  
    “Just breakfast.”  
  
    “Didn’t I say that you didn’t need to do any of this?” Hank questioned, not waiting for a response before walking down the hall and checking on Cole like he did every morning.  
  
    Like usual, Cole was wrapped up tightly in his comforter, his red night light struggling to color the room as the sun began to shine through his curtains. Hank crept in, making sure to sidestep over the toys and books littering the floor before kneeling down beside Cole’s bed and brushing his fingers against his forehead.  
  
    Now that Cole was older, Hank had fewer chances to admire his son this way. Nowadays, if Hank looked at Cole for even a _second_ longer than the seven year old deemed acceptable, he would either tell Hank to stop being weird or start pulling faces.  
  
    Hank smiled softly as he brushed the hair out of Cole’s face, ignoring the ache in his knees to enjoy a few more seconds of his son’s sleeping face.  
  
    The moment was broken almost instantly as Cole let out a fart, snorted, and rolled over to face the wall, all in that order. Hank’s knees clicked as he heaved himself up off the floor, biting his tongue so as to not to laugh.  
  
    After closing the door to Cole’s room as softly as he could, Hank made his way back into the kitchen to try another attempt at making sense of the scene Connor had made.  
  
    Piles of pancakes, eggs, and other various breakfast foods were arranged all around a vase of flowers that looked _suspiciously_ like the flowers that grew in his neighbor's yard.  
  
    Just as Hank was about to ask Connor if he had started his morning with a light case of trespassing, Connor poured what Hank could now identify as porridge into a bowl and placed it in the remaining empty spot on the table.  
  
    “There. All done.” Connor smiled, looking up at Hank. “I hope you don't have too much room, because Cole and I will be devouring whatever's left.”  
  
    Hank laughed before sitting at the table, not yet touching anything. “You really didn’t have to do any of this. I’m happy with you sleeping in ‘till Cole eventually makes enough noise to wake you up.”  
  
    Connor joined Hank at the table as he listened, placing a plate in front of Hank’s crossed arms. “Like I said, I understand. I just-” he shrugged. “I enjoy taking care of people.”

  
    Hank watched Connor’s face for another second, but found nothing but honestly in his eyes. “Well, thanks. Looks great,” he nodded towards the food, uncrossing his arms to reach towards the eggs.  
  
    Connor preened at the praise, his shoulders relaxing slightly as his eyes took in the sight of Hank eating.  
  
    “You’re not eating?” Hank spoke between mouthfuls.  
  
    Connor just shook his head, glancing towards the hallway. “I’ll eat with Cole. Let him ask me however many questions he’s thought up over the night before I let him play with Mouse.”  
  
    Hank nodded solemnly. “Ah yes. The rat.”  
  
    “Please, Lieutenant. Call him by his name.” Connor’s eyes twinkled with humor.  
  
    “I’ll do that when you do the same to me.”  
  
    “Please, _Hank_. Mouse is a respected member of this house now.”  
  
    Hank rolled his eyes in response, pointedly taking a bigger mouthful of food so that he wouldn’t be able to talk for a while. Connor laughed as he stood up, busying himself with the dishes that had piled up in the sink.  
  
    Before long Hank’s belt was straining against his stomach and so he took his leave, thanking Connor for the breakfast before heading for the door with his keys.  
  
    Just before he reached the front door to unlock it Connor’s voice rang out again.  
  
    “Lieutenant!”  
  
    Hank turned, giving a pointed look to Connor, who was rapidly making his way over.  
  
    Connor reached Hank by the door and handed over a thermos, one that Hank was sure had been buried in the cupboard for years. Hank raised an eyebrow in question.  
  
    “Coffee. For the road. It’s good.” Connor urged softly, their close proximity surprising Hank for a second before he took the thermos out of Connor’s hand.  
   
    “Thanks, kid.” Hank nodded, taking a small step back.  
  
    Connor licked his lips as he looked up and Hank took another step back, this time out of the door frame and onto the patio. “Have a safe day at work, Hank.”  
  
    Hank nodded again, more rapidly this time as he turned around and headed straight for his car, not daring to look back.  
  
    _Shit_.  
  
_____  
  
    Hank stepped away from his work computer at about midday, stretching his back as he made his way to the breakroom.  
  
    Usually, at this time he would be starving and would drive out to Chicken Feed, but the breakfast Connor had made was still sitting heavy in his stomach. He opted for some more coffee instead, taking the thermos with him to the coffee room to fill up.  
  
    Thankfully, the break room was empty, so after switching on the coffee machine, Hank had a moment to himself without the need for small talk.  
  
    As Hank began to mindlessly scroll through his phone, a message came through from Connor. Pushing the initial panic aside, Hank quickly opened the chat.  
  
    **FROM** : connor babysitter (1:12pm)  
  
    **MESSAGE** : hello lieutenant! its me, connor! i just wanted to assure you that cole is having a good day. here is a pic of him with mouse. picture attached- _23483.jpg_  
  
    Hank snorted before opening the picture, his grin widening. The photo was taken by Connor in the bathroom mirror, smiling as he stood next to Cole, who was laughing with his eyes squinted closed. Hank’s eyes strained around the grainy picture to find the rat, and he let out a strangled noise as he noticed the mass with a tail on top of Cole’s head.  
  
    “The fuck you smiling at, huh?”  
  
    Hank groaned, not looking up from his phone.  
  
    “Don’t ignore me, Anderson!”  
  
    Hank ignored him. He saved the picture, taking one last look at Cole before his eyes involuntarily shifted to Connor. His chin was partially covered by the phone in his hands, but unlike Cole, his eyes were wide open and staring right through Hank. His eyes were shining, if that was even possible, though the photo, as if he was laughing at a private joke with Hank through the lens.  
  
    Before Hank even had the chance to reprimand himself for staring at Connor, again, his phone was ripped out of his hands. “Wha-”  
  
    “Who’s the twink with Cole?” Reed mumbled, his fingers zooming past Cole onto Connor’s face.  
  
    Hank grabbed his phone right back, pushing Gavin’s shoulder as he locked his phone and tucked it safely into his pocket. “His sitter.”  
  
    Gavin looked confused as he let himself be pushed away by Hank. “His sitter? He barely looks old enough to _drive_ let alone raise the kid.”  
  
    Hank sighed, filling up his thermos. “Firstly, he _is_ old enough, and secondly, mind your own business.”  
  
    Hank and Gavin bickered, often, but Hank knew Gavin cared for Cole. Hell, Gavin had babysat Cole more than a handful of times whenever he could see that Hank was really struggling.  
  
    “Damn. So... how long till you hit that?”  
  
    “Reed, get outta my face.” Hank sighed, annoyed that his peaceful coffee break has been spoiled.  
  
    “I’m just saying.” Gavin defended, walking over to lean against the wall as he waited for the coffee machine to be free.  
  
    “Well, don’t.”  
  
    “ _Fine_.”  
  
    “Great.”  
  
    The silence dragged on as Hank’s thermos began to fill up, and Hank’s sudden onset headache began to fade away with every tick of the clock overhead.  
  
    “Does he have a brother?”  
  
    “And... the headache is back,” Hank mumbled to himself, screwing the top back on. “No, he doesn’t. Now get back to work.”  
  
    Gavin fake saluted to Hank and Hank groaned, quickly walking away.  
  
    “Yessir!” Gavin bellowed out as Hank tried to walk back to his desk as fast as he could.  
  
    Pulling out his phone as he sat, he opened the chat box again. As he began typing his response to Connor’s initial message, another link sent through.  
  
    This time it was a video, only seven seconds long. Hank opened it up and turned the volume higher, waiting for it to load.  
  
    The video consisted of Cole sitting beside Sumo on the floor, holding the rat up to the dog’s face. Hank laughed, unsurprised that Cole was trying to introduce the animals. The video was almost over, before Connor’s voice rang out from behind the camera.  
  
_“Say hi to daddy!”_  
  
    **Fuck**.  
  
    Hank barely registered Cole’s wave after hearing Connor, as he instantly locked his phone and rolled his chair back.  
  
    Hank was so very, _very_ , fucked.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello, yes. i am trash. i understand. for some reason it took me literally SEVEN fucking attempts to try write the scene where hank walks out of his bedroom. i am simply a vessel, and hankcon didnt fill me for the past month but im alive (again) so lets do this!!
> 
> PLEAse comment, ur comments make me happy and i screenshot them onto my phone for inspo whenever i start writing a new chapter :)))))


	4. two bros, chillin in the hot tub, five feet apart cause they're NOT gay

    Hank was straight.

    Sure, he had found men attractive before.  _ Maybe _ he had even been blown by a rookie cop in his patrol car back in the day but  _ aside from that _ , he considered himself straight.

    Hank kept reminding himself of the fact as he rewatched Connor’s video, his blood pressure rising with each repeat of  _ “say hi to daddy!” _ that was iterated by the twink currently residing in his home. 

 This can't be happening. The very last thing Hank needed in his life was a fucking  _ crush _ , and on his son’s nanny at that. Hank knew that there was no chance in hell of anything happening between them. It’s not like the kid would ever even be interested in Hank in the first place, but even if by some freak chance he  _ was- _ it could still never happen. 

 He had seen how many live-in-nannies were available on the market- and it was abysmal. There was no way Hank would fuck up his last attempt at keeping Cole with him permanently just to get his socks off a couple times. Connor was untouchable- literally.

  Hank deleted the video off his phone, and in an attempt to clear his head began to look around the precinct. He noticed Tina Chen, one of the officers, sitting on the edge of Reed’s desk. Reed was talking her ear off but Chen was very clearly  _ not _ listening, instead smiling at her phone as her fingers rapidly typed something on the screen. Hank wondered if she was talking to the pretty little blonde at reception. He turned in his chair, subtly craning his neck to look over and sure enough, Chloe was biting her lip to hide a grin, reading something on her phone.

   Hank was happy for them. He was the one who had urged Tina to make the first move, after noticing her stopping by the precinct more than often and hanging around the front desk with no real purpose but to make Chloe laugh. 

   Feeling sufficiently distracted, Hank turned back to the pile of paperwork on his desk.

_____

 

    “-and then, Sumo started- dad are you even listening?”

    “Huh? Yeah. ‘Course I am. What’d Sumo do after that?” Hank replied with a mouthful of food.

    Reassured about his father's attention, Cole began back into his story about what he had gotten up to that day, one that he had been telling ever since Hank stepped foot in the front door an hour ago. 

    The hour had moved by fast- Hank had come home to a house smelling of hot food and spices, Connor standing in the kitchen with an apron that Hank assumed he had brought with him, and Cole sitting in the lounge with his colouring books. The domesticity of that moment didn’t pass by him, even though he wished it would. 

    After changing out of his work clothes, Connor had ushered Hank to the dining table, where he and Cole had been waiting for him.

    “-and then I laughed so much and so did Connor and then we started colouring and then you walked in the door and then I packed up my colouring things and then you went to your room and then you came out of your room and then we sat at the table and then we started eating dinner and then we finished eating dinner and then I,” Cole looked around the table before grabbing his glass and taking a big sip of water, “and then I had some water. And that’s what I did today.”

    “Wow,” Hank raised his eyebrows as he wiped his mouth with his napkin. “That, was detailed.”

    Cole nodded, proud of his recollection skills.

    “So you had a good day, huh?” Hank directed the question at Cole but looked over to Connor as he asked. 

    “Yep!” Cole enthusiastically replied. 

    Connor nodded back at Hank’s question, reassuring. 

    “Good. Glad to hear it.” Hank was glad that the pair had got along, and he finally felt as though the stresses of the past few weeks had been finally lifted off his shoulders. 

    “How was work, Lieutenant?” Connor asked as he began to pile up the dirty dishes on the table. 

    There was no way Hank was going to let Connor do the dishes,  _ again.  _ Without thinking, Hank quickly leaned over and stopped Connor by grabbing a hold of his wrist. “Let me-” Hank’s words died in his mouth as Connor looked up instantly, his big brown eyes staring into Hank’s with surprise. “Hank?”

    Hank released Connor’s wrist like he had been burnt, before standing up from his seat. “Uh- just. Leave the dishes to me.”

    Connor tilted his head slightly and looked up at Hank’s standing form for a moment longer, before Cole piped up. “Can me and Connor go play now?”

    Connor’s head snapped back to the boy, who had been pulling on his sleeve. “Of course, Cole. Let’s go play.”

    Hank began to busy himself with the plates as Connor and Cole left the room, not wanting either of them to see his flushed face. 

    What the _fuck_ was wrong with him? Fumbling around and freezing up just because he touched Connor’s  _ wrist?  _ Hank was a grown man, not some twelve year old girl at a school dance. Grumbling to himself Hank began to clear the dinner table, keeping his ear on Cole’s laughter from the other room. 

    Hank attributed his awkwardness to the video Connor had sent earlier in the day. Clearly, it had just rattled him up. That was all. 

    “Get a hold of yourself,” Hank mumbled to himself, scrubbing hard at a particularly stubborn spot on the plate. 

    The sound of Cole’s laughter coming from down the hall was enough to ground him instantly. He needed to find a way to move past this awkwardness around Connor before the kid realised that a huge middle aged man was getting the jitters around him and fled. 

    Maybe he just needed to get laid. It had been a while, what with Cole being around all the time and Fowler getting up his ass about working harder- sex had taken a back burner. Hank strained to think of the last time he had slept with someone. The fact that he had to think about it proved that it really had been too long. 

    Finished with the dishes, Hank braced himself against the sink and let his head drop. He was tired from work, tired from not getting enough sleep, and tired from the strain he had put on himself so as not to blush every time he saw Connor around the house. It was his own damn fault, and yet, he couldn’t stop himself. 

    “You’re a damn fool,” he huffed to himself, shaking his head and watching the silver strands fall in front of his eyes.

    “Who is?”

    Hank’s right arm gave at the sound of Connor’s voice, causing Hank to almost smash his face against the edge of the counter. “Huh?” he yelped, whipping around.

    Connor was standing across the kitchen, staring at Hank with his arms behind his back. “You said ‘you're a damn fool’. Who were you talking about?”

    Hank really needed to stop talking to himself, now that there was going to be another adult around the house to call him out on it. “Ah, don’t worry about it. Just talking to myself.”

    Connor nodded, aimlessly wandering around the kitchen. Hank began to dry his hands with the tea towel on the counter, his eyes trained on Connor, not yet prepared to be surprised by another instance of his surprisingly quiet walk. 

    “Cole kick you out?”

    Connor laughed at that, stopping mid-step. “Sure did. He doesn’t think I’m very good at video games.”

    Hank nodded, knowing how competitive the boy gets. “He doesn’t let me play, either. Back in my day, we would play games with controllers, not with this virtual reality shit. Freaks me out.”

    Connor hummed, sitting down at the table. “Me too.”

    “You too? You’re young, this shit was around for your childhood,” Hank questioned, surprised. 

    “I mean,” Connor sighed. “We weren’t much of a video game kind of family.”

    “Fair enough. What kind of family were you, then?” 

    Connor shrugged, his finger running along the edge of the table. Hank didn’t want to press but he couldn't help but be curious, noticing how the kid seemed to back away from the subject. 

    “My brother and I mostly kept each other entertained. We didn’t need much else.”

    So he  _ does _ have a brother, Hank thought. Fuck. Gavin would be pleased. Not like he would ever let Gavin interact with Connor, but it would be fun to torture him with the knowledge. 

    “Kept?”

    Connor looked up. “What?”

    “You said  _ kept _ ,” Hank moved to sit back at the table, across from Connor. “Not anymore?”

    “We, uh,” Connor stuttered, clearly uncomfortable.

    “It’s fine,” Hank interrupted. “You don't need to explain.” 

    Connor smiled, looking relieved. “You received a call today. I wasn’t sure if you wanted me to answer the home phone or not so I let it go to voicemail.” 

    “You can answer calls,” Hank assured as he reached over to press the voicemail button on the home phone. Not many households had landlines anymore, but Hank thought the home felt incomplete without one. 

    “ _ You have- one message. Received at- 3:14pm. Number listed as- Carol- home.” _

    Hank sighed, knowing exactly what was going to be said. Connor looked intrigued, and Hank didn’t have enough time to tell him to leave the room and save himself.

    “ _ Hank. I can’t take Cole this weekend, we’re going away to Cleveland. Just uh, tell him that I’m working or something, I don't want him to be upset. Uh, we’ll be back in a couple weeks, so I’ll just call you on the Friday to remind you. That’s all. Hope the new sitter’s working out.” _

    The line beeped. “Of fucking course, she-”

    Hank shook his head. He didn’t want Connor to see him lose his temper. 

    “Well, alright then. More time with Cole,” Hank smiled, trying to find the bright side in the situation. It wasn’t that he  _ wanted _ his son to be gone from the home, but it was what was  _ needed. _ Cole needed to spend time with his mother, but it seemed almost impossible these days with Carol travelling around the country without sparing a second thought for her son.

    “Cole’s mother?” Connor questioned, as if he didn’t already know the answer.

    Hank let out a noisy breath. “Yeah. That’s her.”

    Connor nodded. “Does she do that often?”

    “Not  _ often _ , but. She should be seeing him more that what she does, let’s say that.”

    “How long have you been separated?”

    “What is this, twenty questions?” Hank quickly retorted. 

    “It’s fine, you don't need to explain.” Connor grinned as he parroted back Hank’s words. 

    Hank rolled his eyes. “Fine. We got a divorce when Cole was still in nappies. She wanted more, much more, but all I could give her was my shit hole self, this shit hole house, in this shit hole neighbourhood. She was always out of my league- I suppose she finally realised it herself.” 

    “You’re not a ‘shit hole’,” Connor whispered.

    “I-” Hank was taken aback by Connor’s tone. It sounded like he truly cared, truly felt  _ bad _ for Hank. He didn’t like the feeling of being pitied.

    “Yeah, I am, but I’m doing my best by my kid. That’s all I can do. I just hope he doesn’t grow up and resent me for not taking him to Hawaii every summer,” Hank joked, trying to ease the queasy feeling in his stomach. 

    Hank had been surprised as how much he had shared, Connor’s understanding eyes leading him to a sense of comfort that Hank wanted to break out of as soon as possible.

    “I think that’s enough deep bonding for one night.” Hank rushed out as he stood from the table, reaching his arms above his head. He told himself that he was seeing things when he caught Connor's eyes drift from his face to his stomach as he stretched. 

    Hank quickly finished his stretch and let his arms fall back down to his sides. “Gonna deliver the news to Cole.”

    Not waiting for a reply, Hank walked around the table, towards the hallway.

    As he passed Connor, Hank felt a brush against his hand. Looking down, he saw Connor’s slender fingers wrapped around his wrist, the slim fingers barely meeting. 

    “You're a good father, Hank. Cole is lucky to have you.” Connor said determinedly, his eyebrows furrowed as he looked up at Hank.

    Hank stood unmoving for a second before nodding once, worried that if he were to speak his weakness for the moment would show. 

    Understanding, Connor let go, his face easing back into a small smile. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello dear pals. please forgive my absence with this chapter as it is longer than all the others. i love u hank. i have not forgotten u, little rat (Mr Mouse). 
> 
> LEAVE A LIL COMMENT PLEASE! IT HELPS ME OUT and encourages me to get workin on the next chapter!!!!


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